ECOSYSTEM WELCOME GUIDE PRESENTATION OF THE ECOSYSTEM
For more macroeconomic information on San Francisco, please consult the Economic Service website at the address below: https://www.tresor.economie.gouv.fr/Pays/US
OUR TEAM FRANCE EXPORT REFERENTS
Florence Tison: Business France San Francisco www.businessfrance.fr
Romain Serman: Executive Director - Bpi France USA https://www.bpifrance.fr
Reza Malekzadeh: President - The French Tech San Francisco http://sf.lafrenchtech.com GROWTH SECTOR & OPPORTUNITIES
Fintech HealthTech Biotechnologie Life Science FoodTech RetailTech, Ecommerce AI, Connected Objects, Robotic, data, data security Gaming
2021 SILICON VALLEY INDEX
TOP LIST OF FRENCH STARTUP IN SILICON VALLEY
NEXT40/120 PROGRAM
NEXT40/120 PROGRAM THE BAY AREA
This is not big news "the Bay Area," 11 500 high-tech companies which encompasses both the city of 11 new businesses are created every week. San Francisco, the east shore of the Bay, and Silicon Valley, is still today the largest ecosystem of startups in the world. 114 Unicorns The innovation culture is unique to including 2 French San Francisco and Silicon Valley. What mobilizes energies in California is to build a better world thanks to technologies. Besides, the Bay has been able to bring together all the key elements of success: massive funding for innovation, highly qualified labor, 600 French great R&D weight in elite universities startup and local companies, a legal framework for work lightened.
$46,4M Venture Capital 20 640 investments Patents filed
MAIN INVESTMENT FUNDS
VENTURE CAPITAL
BUSINESS ANGEL
CORPORATE
VENTURE DEBT
PUBLIC
FAMILY OFFICE BEST TECH MEDIA
Siliconvalley.com https://www.siliconvalley.com/
Techmeme https://www.techmeme.com/
TechCrunch.com https://techcrunch.com/
Mashable.com https://mashable.com/
MAIN INCUBATORS & ACCELERATORS
PlugAndPlay GrowthX Hax Y Combinator 500 Startups Rocket space Angel pad Black box School Lab DG717 Digital Garage Incubation Center YouWeb Incubator
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ACCELERATORS
Orange Fab Rocket Space Alchemist Accelerator Founders Space PUBLIC ACTORS WHO CAN HELP FOREIGN ENTREPRENEURS
OEWD (The Office of Economic and Workforce Development): commercial development department Phone: + 1 415 554 6969 www.oewd.org SFSBA SFSBA (San Francisco small business administration): helps entrepreneurs realize the American dream. The SBA is a federal agency entirely dedicated to small businesses. Phone: + 415 744 6820 www.sba.gov/offices/district/ca/san-francisco SFOSB The Office of Small Business is the city's central point of information and assistance for small businesses and entrepreneurs located in San Francisco. Phone: +1 415 554 6134 https://sfosb.org/
French public actors who can help you with innovation & your international development
Business France welcomes and supports of international investors and is also developing International Corporate Volunteering, a flexible and efficient international HR solution.
BpiFrance supports you in your international development. Thanks to their network of banking partners, investors, and institutions, the BpiFrance teams deploy all their energy to support you in your projects. THE FRENCH TECH AT A GLANCE
TODAY THE FRENCH TECH SAN FRANCISCO IS:
It is a community of 6 00 start-up 2 Fr ench unicorns. +2 500 Followers in social media 30 Investors 25 Ambassadors
OUR ACTIONS 4 startups of the 2021 French Tech Monthly events organized by the various Next 40/120 program have bloomed in partners (French Alumni, French Tech Meetup, San Francisco French Founders, the Chamber of Commerce, French Tech Hub);
Intervention by French speaker at local meetings;
Meeting with French tech leaders visiting Silicon Valley;
A big annual French Tech event;
Communication actions with local influencers. And it is also a website presenting the ecosystem sf.lafrenchtech.com OUR AMBASSADORS
They are entrepreneurs, tech executives, and investors. They advise and support you to develop your activity in the region:
Erwan Ménard
Global Director Infrastructure & Applications Modernization Solutions at Google Cloud
THE BOARD MEMBERS
Réza Malezadeh Erwan Ménard Pascale Diaine Sunil Chhaya
Président of the French Tech Global Director Principal at Storm Venture Principal at Menlo Venture San Francisco and of the French Infrastructure & Applications Alumni Association. Modernization
Solutions at Google Cloud General partner at Partech Venture
THE PARTNERS
LES COMMUNITY PARTNERS DO BUSINESS
INSERT IN THE OPEN ECOSYSTEM A LEGAL ENTITY
According to the StartupBlink 2020 Nothing is easier in the United States! ranking, San Francisco leads the city with It is the country of entrepreneurship, and it the best ecosystem for startups for the could hold the record fasted-start a business: second year in a row. just a few minutes and everything can be done online. StartupBlink is based on three criteria: Quantity, quality, and the business But be careful to get information from a law environment. firm and/or bookkeeper to avoid traps!
COST OF REGISTERING A COMPANY
A few hundred dollars. Of course, if you want more sophisticated statutes, count a few thousand dollars instead.
Don't forget to ask yourself questions about your Intellectual Property strategies. Did you know that the United States ranks first Do not hesitate to contact Charlotte on a property index intellectual in 2020? Beaumatin, representative of the INPI for the North America zone (United States, Canada), based in Washington.. https://www.theglobalipcenter.com/ipindex 2020-chart/ Charlotte Beaumatin French Embassy, Economic department 4101 Reservoir road Washington, DC 20007, United-States Phone : +1 202 944 63 60 Mail:[email protected] WHERE ARE TALENTS?
Stanford University campus Berkeley University Campus UCSF
They are everywhere and come from all horizons! They are often attracted to university centers like Stanford, Berkeley, or UCSF; powerful, active, highly integrated into the ecosystem, business partners, incubators, and investors themselves.
Stanford University Berkeley University
The heart of Silicon Valley beats at this Berkeley is in 5th place in the 2020 ranking of the university in Southern San Francisco, where best universities in the world. (2) some of tech's biggest companies have Among alumni, professors, or researchers associated started. Founded over 125 years ago, with the university, there are 107 Nobel Prizes, 45 Stanford has mastered the art of MacArthur Prizes, 25 Turing Prizes, 19 Oscars, 14 entrepreneurship. This private university is Pulitzer Prizes4, 14 Fields Medals, and 207 Olympic ranked 2nd in the 2020 ranking of the best medals (117 gold, 51 silver, and 39 bronze). world universities (2). It has produced 83 Berkeley is also credited with discovering 16 chemical Nobel Prizes, 27 Turing Award winners, and elements now present in the periodic table, more 8 Fields medals than any other university in the world. https://www.stanford.edu https://www.berkeley.edu
Did you know? UCSF The university is entirely dedicated to the health sciences. It is an important center for Silicon Valley is one of the geographic medicine and biological research and concentrations of the highest high-skilled jobs in the education. It is one of the best universities in United States and the world in a relatively small the biomedical field in the country and in the space. world. October 2018, 9 Nobel Laureates were The average annual salary of technology affiliated with UCSF as faculty members or employees in the Bay Area is: $155.560 (3) researchers. Candidates' salaries range from $70,000 for the https://www.ucsf.edu lowest to $295,000 for the highest. The average salary is $155,000.
However, this very high-income level is compensated by a very high cost of living and exceptional productivity.
(2) sourc es: Shanghai University ranking (ARWU) (3) source: Hired THE PROFESSIONAL REAL ESTATE
San Francisco remains one of the most expensive in the world. The rise in real estate prices affects the whole region.
The average cost to rent office space in San Francisco is $72/m², with a minimum of $55 in the less expensive neighborhoods (Mission Bay and Slowplace Square) and $75 in the SOMA or Waterfront neighborhoods.
Most commercial leases are for 7 years, but there are other solutions, however. You can sublease your offices or move a little further to find a more affordable price in the Alameda district, for example, where the prices are closer to $25/m² (but the San Francisco Zip code will not appear on the company's address).
Another well-known solution now, co-working spaces that perfectly meet the entrepreneur's needs and combine cost, services, flexibility, events, and community.
Among the most well-known: Galvanize Covo WeWork Bespoke
WeWork Canopy Schoolab Impact hub
Galvanize Canopy
Did you Know?
It was in 2005 that the first co-working space was inaugurated in San Francisco by the programmer Brad Neuberg, closely followed by the Hat Factory co-founded by Chris Messina… Its name does not ring a bell, but it does. Is the inventor of the #hashtag on Twitter!
(2) sourc es: Shanghai University ranking (ARWU) (3) source : Hired TAXES & BENEFITS FOR CALIFORNIA ENTREPRENEURS
While the region offers many opportunities, it is not what we might call a tax haven for businesses. There are two types of taxes: federal taxes (between 34 and 39% from 75,000 USD of income) and state taxes, which obviously vary from state to state. California corporate taxes are only 9%, with significant benefits available depending on the type of corporation incorporated.
There are many other benefits as well.
Asset protection against liability.
The California constitution protects officers and directors from personal liability for lawsuits or trade debts resulting from the company's operations or either action was taken on its behalf.
California companies can sell, transfer, donate, or buy shares of their own stock. A company can issue shares for cash, goods, and services. You can set the value of these shares how you see fit. The value of the stock is set in your corporate bylaws.
Credibility. Create a business in California will increase the “credibility” of your business and increase investor interest.
Management flexibility. California only needs three officer positions: president, chief financial officer, and secretary. These three positions can be filled by one person. FRENCH NETWORKS
IS IT EASY TO FIT IN? NETWORKS WHO CAN HELP YOU
Since the 19th century, French immigration to the San Francisco Bay Accueil, which has 250 one nicknamed "the Paris of the West" has been member families who come together for regular. Over 30 000 French people live in San activities and parties. Francisco bay, including around 15,000 who work in the tech world. The strength of French entrepreneurs and startups lies in their very high technical and technological levels.
The French community is present everywhere in the Ba, it is very dynamic and welcoming. You will have no problem with fitting in!
LOCAL ECOSYSTEM FOR THE NETWORKING?
General Consulate organizes many events for The French-American Chamber of newcomers to connect to the French network commerce whose mission is to promote the already well established in the region. Franco-American business community and to https://sanfrancisco.consulfrance.org support companies in their establishment in the region. The French Tech San Francisco organizes https://www.faccsf.com/ many events and meetings to facilitate networking and open up to non-French The While42 is reserved for French engineers speakers, but also more "technical" events and and computer scientists. panels to help entrepreneurs with the issues https://www.comite-officiel.org/while42 they may encounter. https://sf.lafrenchtech.com/ French Founders is a business club that helps you connect with other French-speaking The French Alumni Association has been in CEOs, top executives, entrepreneurs, or existence for a decade and also organizes many investors. events to allow people to network. https://www.frenchfounders.com/ https://www.french-alumni.org/
New members are obviously welcome, and there will be plenty of opportunities to network or simply exchange ideas, so don't hesitate to contact them. DAILY LIFE
WHAT I WISH I HAD KNOWN BEFORE LEAVING…
I knew before leaving that in San Francisco, the seasons are almost non-existent. It's never cold or hot however, I would have liked to know that the temperature could vary from one city to another, even from one neighborhood to another! Think about it when you look for your home!
You should also know that winter is more pleasant there than summer; in fact, Mark Twain said about this: "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." Always plan a little jacket for your aperitifs on the beach!
Finally, know that the cost of living is much higher than in France, everything is more expensive.
REAL ESTATE
The real estate in San Francisco ... this city has become in a few years THE most expensive city in the USA. The price of real estate varies considerably from one neighborhood to another and according to the reputation of its schools.
Here are some price ranges depending on the type of accommodation to help you:
For a 1 bedroom prices can vary from $2500 to $3000 For 3 bedrooms $3100 and $4300 For 5 bedrooms $5200 and $7000 For a villa $7000 and ...
Leases usually include a few essential household appliances and sometimes the bills for water and maintenance as well as other household amenities. The term of the contract is quite flexible but beware contracts cannot be changed as long as the contract is valid. WHERE TO LIVE IN THE BAY
“The City by the Bay” is a city of hills. Young families and couples love apartments in Pacific Heights, Marina District, Russian Hill, Nob Hill, and Laura Heights. Other families also choose North San Francisco in Marin County or Palo Alto South of the Bay. Berkeley, 20 minutes from San Francisco, in the middle of the bay, and surrounded by nature, can also be a good option. The trendy area is South of Market, where lofts are being built in spades. Finally, the Castro, Twin Peak, and Noe Valley tend to attract the gay community and artists. Anyway, you will be spoilt for choice!
PRIVATE OR PUBLIC SCHOOL
The reputation of American schools is made by neighborhood, they are less appreciated in San Francisco than schools near Palo Alto for example, or Marin County. This is why many French turn to the French schools and in particular the Lycée Français and the Lycée International Franco- Américain, but the tuition fees are quite high. To compensate for this, various scholarship system exist!
HE WEBSITES / FACEBOOK GROUPS TO KNOW:
There are a multitude of them that you can discover depending on your needs and your choice of communities, but here are the main ones:
French Morning Merci SF Lostin SF THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
Healthcare is very expensive in the US, and when it is known that medical bills are the number one reason for personal bankruptcy in the United States, it is imperative to study the issue beforehand.
Healthcare coverage is often paid by the employer. Otherwise, you can take out local American health insurance or finally take out health insurance from France.
THE LAST WORD
While the San Francisco Bay Area is still the region that offers the best startup ecosystem in the world, it is also the most competitive place. Succeeding in Silicon Valley means success everywhere!
If you have real needs, if your business needs to expand into a larger market, the Bay is your destination. But beware, you will need to be prepared to challenge your business and perhaps even its limits, especially to adapt to the American market. The differences are greater than you might think.
Do not forget to work on your storytelling and surround yourself well. You will meet a lot of extraordinary people, you will learn a lot, and the French Tech ecosystem will be there to support you. The French success stories are more and more numerous.